Family
by Healthy Obsession
Summary: This is just a random little thing that came to me while I was on holiday. It makes no sense and was just a bit of fun and a way to stop me from being bored out of my skull. Jack/Ianto, Owen/Gwen, has an OC and is in an AU. Obviously.
1. Kari

**So here we go again. This time, I've decided to poison Torchwood with my imagination. I recently became re-obsessed with it and this was the result.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea and Kamaria. She's mine.**

* * *

My name is Kamaria, but I prefer Kari and I tend to glare at people who don't call me that.

My mother's name is Gwen Cooper and my father's name is Jack Harkness.

My mother is Welsh, comes from Cardiff and speaks with a Welsh accent.

My father was born in Scotland, moved to America when he was eight and consequently speaks with an American accent except with his mother and father.

He moved back to the UK when he was eighteen, met my mother in London and married her when they were both twenty.

They had me in the same year and we lived in London for the first seven years of my life. We moved back to Cardiff at my mother's request. My parents split up a year later, when I was eight.

My mother accused my father of having an affair with another man. My father denied it, but didn't deny that he was gay and my mother divorced him. I stayed with my father and saw my mother every other week.

My mother remarried when I was ten, to a man called Owen Harper. He was from London, but came up to live in Cardiff and commuted every weekend until my mother found a way to have him run his business remotely.

My father was very lonely, I think, with just a little girl for company. The man my mother had accused him of having the affair with wouldn't see him, saying that it was his fault my parents had spilt up and how would_ I_ feel if he was around.

I liked the sound of him. I didn't blame him at all, and nobody else had thought about what I felt.

He kept it up for five years, but when I was thirteen, Ianto Jones gave into my father and went out with him. They're still together, three years on. He hasn't moved in, but he might as well. He sleeps over enough.

My mother doesn't like me being in the house with them but…

I know what love is and the different types. I know the look parents give their children when they love them. My father looks at me like that. My mother doesn't.

She told me once, when I was nine years old, that I was an accident and a mistake and she didn't want me.

She still doesn't. Owen, my stepfather, never wanted kids, so why would he love a stepdaughter?

But my father loves me and I love him. I stopped calling my mother 'Mum' or 'Mother' ages ago. I only refer to her as 'my mother' to outsiders, or 'Gwen' to her face.

I still call my father 'Dad' or 'Daddy'. I occasionally call him Jack, but only when he thinks I've pushed it too far with Gwen.

I also know how two people look at each other when they're in love. My mother looks at Owen like that, but he doesn't. He looks at another girl, Diane, from his work, like that.

I think he's having an affair, but my mother would never believe me over him.

My father and mother don't look at each other like that anymore, though there's still fondness in my father's eyes.

But now he looks at Ianto like that and Ianto… looks at him so lovingly, so _adoringly_, I wonder how people can say gay relationships are wrong.

It's just two people in love. The look doesn't change just because the genders of the couple are the same.

I wish my father and Ianto could get married. They really love each other. Ianto treats me as if I'm his daughter as well, even though there's only twelve years between us and sometimes, I think he loves me more than my own mother does.

My father, Ianto and I live in Cardiff still, as that's where Ianto's from. My mother and Owen still live in Wales, but in rural countryside and I hardly see her anymore, which suits both her and me.

Dad doesn't like me shutting her out, but now I'm sixteen, he can't deny I've got the right to do just that. I hear about my mother from Toshiko, her friend from work and Dad's friend as well.

It was her who got them to meet. She still talks to Dad, but she's on my mother's side in all this, saying that a teenage girl needs a mother.

I don't, especially not one who doesn't give a damn. I can take care of myself, but it does get lonely. Dad has Ianto, and has hardly stopped grinning for three years. Gwen has Owen, who she certainly loves more than me.

I fit in nowhere. There's no place for me. I'm just a painful reminder for my father and an unwanted reminder for my mother. I don't care about Gwen, but Dad and Ianto deserve a chance. It's better if I'm not here.


	2. Jack

**Aren't you lucky? Second chapter straight away!**

* * *

PC Peter Riddell looked up from reading out the missing girl's diary to his young colleague, PC Isabelle Grove, who was newly qualified as a police officer. She had her hand over her mouth in shock and pity.

"That poor girl. Little wonder she ran away"

PC Riddell nodded and set the diary down "Her father reported her missing yesterday morning. She officially became a missing person last night, 24 hours after her disappearance. We got her parents and their partners down this morning, to get some idea of the missing girl"

PC Grove nodded "Who are we going to interview first?"

"Well, seeing as the mother hasn't been kind enough to turn up, the father, I think. A Jack Harkness, who she lived with. He would know her best, so fetch him, Isabelle. He's in the waiting room"

Isabelle nodded and walked down the corridor. She instantly recognised Jack Harkness from his ID photo.

A pleasant, handsome face, the sort of face girls fall for. There were faint lines around his mouth, which tilted upwards, looking like he smiled a great deal and he had brilliant blue eyes.

These were currently downcast, looking at his hands, which were being held by the man seated next to him. This, then, was Ianto Jones.

Isabelle stepped forward "Jack Harkness?"

Jack looked up "Yes, that's me. Has there been news?"

A pleasant voice to match a pleasant face, Isabelle mused. There was a definite American twang to it, but it seemed to have been muted in the years Jack had spent in London and Cardiff.

"No sir" she replied, "We'd just like to talk to you, alone please. If you would just come with me…?"

Jack slipped his hands out of Ianto's and stood, a little shakily, as if he hadn't been sleeping. Ianto put a hand on his back to steady him, a look of worry creasing his face. Jack smiled reassuringly, as much to himself as to Ianto, kissed Ianto on the forehead and followed Isabelle silently.

Isabelle opened the door to the Interview room and said, "Here he is, Pete"

Pete looked up and smiled reassuringly "Hello, Mr Harkness. Please, sit down"

Jack lowered himself into one of the chairs and looked around at the two officers, appearing to be a little confused, but ready and willing.

Pete began "I'm PC Riddell, this is my colleague, PC Grove. Mr Harkness, we just want you to answer some questions about your daughter, so it could give us some idea as to where she might have gone, but first of all, do you recognise this?"

He held up Kari's diary. Jack frowned "It's one of my daughter's notebooks. I've seen her writing in it a couple of times. Why?"

"Have you ever looked in it yourself?"

"Never. I wouldn't without Kari's permission"

"I see. Mr Harkness, I think you need to read this. The last entry before Kamaria ran away"

Jack took the notebook and opened it to the last written page. He began to read, and his face got more and more concerned, until he reached the end and gasped softly, gripping the notebook so hard he crumpled the pages.

Pete gently took it off him and asked, "Did you know?"

Jack shook his head, unable to speak.

Pete frowned "Mr Harkness, I understand this may be a great shock to you, but we need to know, what in her life made Kamaria feel that this was the truth?"

"It is true, mostly. Gwen, Kari's mother, never approved of Kari staying with me, even when Ianto wasn't part of our lives. I think she was a bit upset that Kari chose to stay with me. But to think that Gwen doesn't love her! That she's a painful reminder, in the way! She never gave any indication of this. If Gwen really said that to her…… there's going to be repercussions"

Pete nodded and said half-jokingly, half-seriously "If you could restrain from any violence, otherwise we would be forced to arrest you"

Jack laughed weakly "I don't think you need to worry, Constable. I don't really like violence and even if I did lose my temper, I'm pretty sure Ianto wouldn't let me throw a punch"

Isabelle smiled as Jack said that. His tone of voice completely changed when he said Ianto's name, it became softer, more gentle, more loving.

She leaned forward and said "Did Kari ever seem like she resented your partner in any way?"

"No" replied Jack "Kari never gave any indication that she was unhappy at all. Do you think I would have left it, if I believed for one moment my little girl was unhappy? I would have done anything to make her smile again"

Isabelle smiled again "Seems to me Kari is a very lucky girl in terms of who her father is"

Pete continued "Well, I think that will be all for now. You've given us a good idea of Kamaria's personality at any rate. Do you have any idea when her mother will be able to get here?"

"No Constable. I'm afraid my ex-wife doesn't like speaking to me, and since Kari started refusing to speak to her or to see her, we've lost contact. I should imagine she'll be here before the day is out."

"I see" said Pete "Now, just a couple more things. Firstly, if you could choose one place you think Kamaria would run to, where would it be?"

Jack surprised them by answering "Somewhere out of Wales, certainly. As you can probably tell, coming to Wales is what split Gwen and I up, though I'm certain it would have happened eventually. Kari associates this place with childhood pain. She would want to leave it behind. I would say that Kari would head for London"

Pete made a note of the place and said "Okay, thank you for your time, Mr Harkness. I promise you, the minute there is news, we'll let you know. If you could send Mr Jones in now"

Jack frowned "Why do you want to see Ianto?"

"The same reason we wanted to see you, Mr Harkness, and again, we'd like to see him alone. Isabelle, could you escort Mr Harkness back to the waiting room, please"

Isabelle opened the door and said "Come on, Mr Harkness, let's go"

Jack walked out and when he arrived back in the waiting room, Ianto was instantly on his feet and walking swiftly over to Jack, who smiled weakly and allowed himself to be hugged and guided back to a seat.

Ianto sat back down next to Jack and let Jack lean his head against Ianto's shoulder and close his eyes. Ianto murmured unintelligible words to Jack, gentle words in Welsh as he stroked Jack's cheek.

Isabelle said quietly "Mr Jones…"

Ianto looked back at her and asked, almost aggressively "What do you want?"

"We'd like to talk to you as well, please"

"Surely Jack can tell you anything you need, not that I'll let him go alone again…"

"Yan" muttered Jack "It's okay. I'm fine"

"You're exhausted"

"That's not the young woman's fault. I haven't been sleeping, you know that"

"Still…"

"You go, Ianto. I'll wait here for Gwen, then we'll go home, okay?"

Ianto sighed, briefly tightening his hand over Jack's, before he gave in "Okay"


	3. Ianto

**This follows straight on from Chapter Two. Enjoy**

* * *

Jack raised his head, Ianto stood up and followed Isabelle as well. Jack's voice followed them as they walked away "Don't lose your temper, Ianto"

Ianto grinned and shook his head as he walked up the corridor. Isabelle looked at him curiously and asked "What was that all about?"

The smile vanished instantly and Ianto answered with another question "Is that relevant?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then I don't have to tell you"

Isabelle huffed as she opened the interview room's door and let Ianto in. Pete looked up from his notes on Jack's interview and smiled "Hello, Mr Jones. I'm PC Riddell, this is PC Grove. Sit down, please"

Ianto sat down, but unlike Jack, he sat on the edge of the seat and leant his elbows on the desk.

"So" began Pete "How long have you known Kamaria?"

"I've known _of_ Kari for as long as I've known her father, about eight years. Actually knowing the girl myself, almost three years"

"Do you like her?"

"I love Kari. She's a lovely girl, with rather unfortunate family circumstances. She coped remarkably well for a little girl when her parents split up"

"You think running away is unusual for Kamaria?"

"She's never seemed like the type of girl to run away from her problems, but I don't know what prompted this disappearance. Maybe it all got too much for her. I sincerely hope that isn't the case"

"According to her diary, Kamaria believed that her mother didn't love her and she was in the way of your relationship with her father. That is cited as the reason she ran away. As an outside observer, do you believe that is true?"

"What, that her mother doesn't love her?"

"Yes"

Ianto ran a hand through his hair and sighed "This doesn't go outside this room. Jack gets upset every time I mention this. I don't believe Gwen does love Kari. She always acts very cold around Kari whenever she comes to visit. She acts like it's an obligation to come and visit her daughter, rather than a joy, which it _should _be"

"There's got to be more to your theory than that" Pete encouraged.

Ianto sighed again and continued "She acts like Kari's a disappointment. No matter how well Kari does, at school or at sport, even in her hobbies, unless she's perfect, Gwen doesn't want to know. She doesn't admit she's got a daughter to her friends near her new home, because one of them came with Gwen when she visited Kari and was genuinely shocked at Kari's existence. Gwen tried to pass it off as forgetfulness, but the reaction was too realistic to be that."

Isabelle was sitting silently next to Pete, and her face was trying to remain impassive, but as Ianto finished his sentence, she could no longer contain her disgust and cried out "Well, is it any wonder she ran away? I'd want to get away from a mother like that. Why hasn't she been barred access"

"Because she's an ex-police officer and they are supposed to be trustworthy people. That, and one of the conditions of the divorce was that Gwen was allowed access to Kari. We can't afford a lawyer to fight for full custody"

"If you could, would you?"

"Kari isn't my daughter, so it's not my decision to make, it's Jack's. However, if she was my daughter, and she practically is, I would certainly try to fight for full custody."

"I see" said Pete, musingly "How long has your relationship with Mr Harkness gone on for?"

Ianto instantly tensed up, a fact not missed by the two police officers and replied "Almost three years. It'll be three years this April. The 29th."

"What did Kamaria think of her father's new relationship?"

"I would never have started anything with Jack without Kari's approval. She had been through enough, I didn't want to upset her further by taking some of her father's attention away from her. She needed someone"

"So Kamaria gave her approval?"

"I sent her a present every year for her birthday and Christmas, because I had been a friend of the family before Jack and Gwen had split up. Around three weeks after her birthday, I received a note. It was from Kari, saying thank you for her present, but the best present I could give her would be to say yes to Jack, because he was driving her insane, moping around the house every time I said no. That would have been her thirteenth birthday. Jack came to visit me about four weeks later, saying that this was the last time he would try and he wouldn't be annoying me again. I still remember the look on his face when I said yes. When he asked me what changed my mind, I just laughed and said 'Kari'"

"Kamaria was essentially responsible for your relationship"

"That's Kari through and through. She wrote like she was just sick of Jack, but when she saw him and me together, I could see the worry lifting from her face. She had been worried about her father, worried about his happiness first and her happiness second. She's a good girl, our Kari, a good, sweet, unselfish girl, who deserves so much more than we can give her"

"You sound very fond of Kari" Isabelle said, smiling.

Ianto laughed a little "Jack always said she was as much my daughter as his. I'd like to think Kari thought the same, because I always tried to treat her like she was my daughter"

Pete nodded and said "She did, Mr Jones, she did. Now, when's Kamaria's birthday?"

"10th March, 1993. She just turned sixteen"

"Okay. Do you know of anything that may have prompted her to think 'enough is enough' as you put it, and run away"

"Nothing, unless…"

"What, Mr Jones?" Pete prompted.

"Her mother is supposed to come down on Kari's birthdays and she has, albeit more and more reluctantly. But this time…"

"She didn't?"

"She called about two days before to say that she was _terribly _sorry, but something _extremely _urgent had come up and she just _had_ to leave. Something to do with her work, I think, but her husband, Owen, was going with her, so I suspect it was just an excuse. She didn't even remember to send Kari a present or even _text_ her to say happy birthday"

Ianto sighed and rubbed his face with a hand wearily before finishing "I heard Kari crying that night. When I went into her room, she instantly stopped and denied she ever had been crying. I couldn't do anything to help, because then I would have been accusing her of being a liar, and Kari hardly ever lies. She said she made a New Year's resolution once, to stop lying"

Pete glanced at Isabelle, who was watching Ianto with big eyes, full of sadness and anger, then looked back Ianto, who looked drained and upset, before saying quietly "Okay, Mr Jones, that will do, thank you. You can go"

Ianto jumped to his feet and Isabelle got up as well and escorted him back to the waiting room. Jack was still there, dozing in one of the chairs.

Ianto just walked over to him, sat down next to him and buried his head into Jack's shoulder. Jack opened his eyes and worry instantly flickered in his eyes as he took in Ianto's crumpled figure.

Jack reached up to cradle Ianto's head, murmuring "What's wrong, my love?"

Ianto didn't answer and just tried to bury himself further into Jack. Jack looked over his head and mouthed "What happened?"

Isabelle mouthed back "We had him talking about Kamaria. I think he's realised just how scared he is"

Jack nodded and shifted in his seat a bit, allowing Ianto to wrap both arms around Jack's waist, clinging to his shirt, while Jack rubbed Ianto's back soothingly. Ianto's shoulders were shaking and to Isabelle's horror, she realised that Ianto was crying.

She turned away to give them a bit of privacy, but as she walked away, she heard Jack call her name "PC Grove"

Isabelle turned and Jack smiled at her "Thank you, Constable"

Isabelle felt her heart lift at the simple thanks, even if she was unsure as to why Jack had thanked her. Isabelle smiled back and said "I'm Isabelle, sir"

"Then thank you, Isabelle"

Isabelle went back into the interview room to join Pete and sat down with a sigh, asking "Well?"

"Well, it should be obvious even to a blind man that the child hasn't lacked love on this side of her family. Those two men adore her. On the other side, however…"

Isabelle nodded her agreement "However much love you may receive from one parent, it can hardly make up for the lack of love from the other parent, no matter how much it is. How can people be so callous to their own flesh and blood?"

Pete frowned "We won't be able to tell until we meet the mother. Do you think we should talk to the stepfather as well?"

"Why are you asking me?" Isabelle asked "It's your decision"

"Yes, but this is a team. I won't do anything you think is stupid"

"I can't see any reason why we shouldn't, but I can't see much reason why we should"

"So you're sitting on the fence about it?"

"Yep!"

"Thanks Isabelle, that's really helpful"

"Heh, my pleasure"


	4. NOTICE!

**This is going on hiatus until further notice. I just can't bear to write Ianto right now. I'm sorry if anyone's disappointed, but I need to accept that Ianto's gone before I carry on with this, otherwise I'm not going to be able to write this without crying. **

**Thanks**


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